Railway-signal.



No. 634,388. Patented Oct. 3, I899. W. S. BOULT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

(Applicltion filed Dec. 30, 1897.)

4 SheetsSheet I.

m: Norms PETERS co FFIOTOLITNDI. WASHINGTON, n c.

No. 634,388. Patented Oct. 3, 1899. W. S. BOULT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL (Application filed. Dec 80, 1897.)

- (No Model.) 4 Shoets-$heet 2.

No. 634,388. Patented Oct. 3; I899. w. s. BOULT.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

(Application filed Dec. '30, 1897.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

,J. emu

THE Nor-ms PETERS co, womumov, msnmamn. u. c

larized needle.

UNITE STATES PATENT QF-FlGflEs WILFRIDSWANWIOK BOULT, oF'LoNnoN, nnomnnnssmnon or ONE- HALF TO OEDRIO RANDAL BOULT, on IVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,388, dated October 3, 1899.

Application filed December 30, 1897. Serial No. 664,585. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILFRID SwANwIoK BOULT, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Railway Signaling Apparatus, (for which I have made application for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 17,041, dated Septemberll, 1893; No. 11,773, dated June 18, 1894:; No. 8,724, dated May 2, 1895, and No. 29,257, dated December 10, 1897,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway signaling apparatus, its object being to provide improved means whereby signals may be given to or from a stationary or moving train without mechanical contact between any device upon the train and apparatus in the roadway.

The essential feature of this invention is the employment, in combination, of a magnet and apparatus which collects and focuses the lines of force from the magnet, thereby causing movement of a defiectable needle, such movement being utilized to give a signal, preferably by closing an electric circuit containing suitable signaling instruments. This apparatus for collecting and focusing the magnetic field is hereinafter called a focus ing-collector. Either member of this combinationthat is to say, either the magnet or the collecting apparatus-may be placed in or near the roadway in any convenient position, the other member being carried past in close proximity to, but without touching it,

upon the engine or other vehicle forming part of a train. For the sake of clearness, however, it is assumed throughout this specification that the magnet is placed in the roadway, the focusing-collector and other apparatus being carried upon a vehicle. It is to be understood that the focusing-collector is rigidly fixed upon the vehicle-that is to say, there is no necessary relative movement between it and the magnet. Moreover, its function is to collect and focus the field of the magnet upon a defiectable and preferably po- In the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate various forms of apparatus according to this invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one arrangement of permanent roadmagnets. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig, 1. Figs. 3 and 4: are respeetively plan and side elevation of one form of road-electromagnets. Fig. 5 is a transverse section, to an enlarged scale, on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7show,diagrammatically,

in plan and transverse section another form Fig. 12 is a side elevation of another form of focusing-collector, and Fig. 13-is atransverse section on the line 13 13 of Fig. 12, also showing the relative position of the track. Fig. 14s is a diagrammatic illustration of an arrangement of signaling connections controlled by the needles.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

A, Fig. 1, are permanent magnets placed in transverse grooves in a plank A, so that their similar poles lie in one direction. The magnets are provided with a cover A preferably of zinc, part of this cover being removed in Fig. 1. The plank A is supported by blocks A which rest upon sleepers A, and the ends of the structure are ramped or sloped and provided with a plate A to protect them from blows. Fig. 2 shows the relative position of the magnets with regard to the rails B. A

focusing-collector, the construction of which is hereinafter more fully described, is shown diagrammatically at F. The object of arranging a series of magnets in this way is to provide a magnetic field of considerable length, so that the collecting apparatus may be acted upon for a sufficient time even when the train is running at a high speed. On a trial, with a magnetic field twelve feet long, signals were taken at the highest speed attainableviz., seventy miles an hour.

Aconvenient form of road-electromagnet is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, where C are softiron cores surrounded by a winding G and attached to extended pole-plates C No supports are shown in these figures; but it will be readily understood that the road-electro- 1 magnets may be fixed upon an arrangement of blocks and sleepers similar to that shown with reference to the road permanent; magnets in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. (land 7illustrate anotherform of roadthrough the needles J J themselves. The

; needles J J are not necessarily pivoted. For example, in Figs. 10 and 11 they are 111 the form of springy strips of iron or steel secured electromagnet which may be used in situa- 1 is itself fastened to the base H of the box H.

tions where a large amount; of current is avail able. It comprises an approximately semicircular iron trough D, having flanges D, which act, like the parts C in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, as extended pole-plates. Along the middle of the trough, and preferably nearly level i eral turns passing around the length of the trough D. On the passage of current through i the conductor E the trough D will be magnetized one flange D' becoming a north pole, the other a south pole, according to the direction of the current. able for forming continuous magnets when, owing to the heaviness of the traflic, itis specially desirable that no time should be wasted in letting a driver know that a signal has been taken otf.

A convenient form of focusing-collector is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. This comprises an H-shaped frame of iron or steel formed of two pole-plates or collecting-bars F and a cross-bar F. The cross-bar F is, however, not continuous, being divided by a gap F in the center. For convenience of adjustment the cross-bar F is joined, as at F so that the ends adjacent to the gap F may be attached to a box I'I, containing the defleetable needle, and thus be removed from the main portion of the collector when it is desired to adjust the needle. The focusing-eollectoris so proportioned that the distance between the collecting-bars F is approximately equal to the distance from pole to pole of the magnets with which the collector cooperates, and thus when a collector is carried into proximity to a magnet the field of the latter is collected by the bars F and focused upon the gap F The two portions of the cross-bar F are mechanicallyjoined across the gap F bya bridge G of non-magnetic materialsay brass. In the gap F preferably inelosed in an adjustable non-magnetic case H, are two pivoted deflectable needles J J, which are kept magnetized or polarized by means of a permanent magnet K and normally take the position shown in Fig. 8, owing to the presence of a piece of iron or steel K, fixed in the center between the needles, which acts as a controller. Vhen, owing to the focusing-collector being in proximity to a magnet, a strong magnetie field is produced in the gap F, the polarized needles J J will be deflected one way or the other, according to the polarity of the field, and when deflected will make contact with two of the four contact-pillars L L L L provided for that purpose. These pillars are insulated from the base upon which they are mounted and are severally connected to various local circuits, which are completed This construction is suit- 5 rail, and, say, route-indicatofi magnets in This of course necessitates the the middle.

at their bases to an insulated block J which This box in this construction is furnished with a top IP of insulating material through which wires 11 pass, and are connected to screws H", which bear upon spring-plungers in electric connection with the needles and contacts. The other details of this form of focusing-collector are substantially similar to those described with reference to Figs. 8 and 5').

It is often desirable to have magnets on the roadway at different distances between the two railsfor example, to have the distantsignal magnets near the left-hand rail, the home-signal magnets near the right-hand employment of as many collectors as there are positions of the signaling-magnets. In

1 such cases it is preferred to use a compound focusing-collector, such as is shown in Figs. 12 andl l. Here there are four collectingbars F, hung from a non-magnetic support F and forming three bays F in each of which is a divided cross-bar F, supported upon-iron trestles F and containing in its gap-F a deflectable needle and other devices, as previously described with reference to the single forms of focusing-collectors. In Figs. 12 and 13 the presence of the deflectable needle and the apparatus pertaining to it is merelyindicated by the box H. The left-hand portion of the compound focusing-collector is shown in Fig. 13 in position over a permanent magnet A and the other portions would be operated by magnets placed at corresponding positions in the track; Thus instead of having to employ six collecting-bars, as would be necessary in the single forms previously described, only four are used. It is evident that on this plan similar compound focusingcollectors may be constructed for any desired number of signaling-magnet positions, there being in each case only one more collectingbar upon the focusing-collector than there are positions of the magnets in the roadway.

It is to be understood that although the needles J J have been described as polarized by a permanent magnet, yet they may, if desired, be of hard steel and themselves permanently magnetized. Further, although'it is preferred to employ polarized needles to enable two separate signals to be given, according to the direction of flux through the gap, yet, if desired, soft-iron unpolarized needles may be used, which are merely deflected irrespective of the polarity of the road-magnet. Any of the forms of deflectable needles may be controlled by a separate spring, or, if desired, may be arranged with a gravity control. Again, although duplicate needles have been shown in the various forms of focusingcollectors illustrated, it is to be understood that a single needle may, if desired, be employed.

Fig. 1a shows, diagrammaticallyand byway of example only, a set of signaling connec tions carried, say, on an engine, when the magnets are placed in the roadway. In this diagram J J represent the polarized needles of a focusing-collector. These needles are II M are batteries connected to the needles J J, their other poles being joinedby wires N to indicators 0 O, which are severally connected by means of wires PP to the contacts L L and L L If now the engine carrying the focusing-collector passes overa magnet the polarity of which is such that the needles are deflected, as indicated in dotted lines, against the contacts L L the indicator 0' will be placed in circuit with both the batteries M M, which will accordingly actuate it. If on the other hand the needles are deflected in the other direction-namely, into contact with the points L L the indicator 0 will be joined in circuit with the batteries. The signals on the indicator 0 might mean danger, while those onO mightindicate line clear. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 14 it is evident that the failure of one of the needles J J need not affect the signal, the indicators 0 0 being so arranged that either of the batteries M M will suffice to give the signal.

It is to be clearly understood that Fig. 14 is merely a diagram showing a very elementary and obvious method of using the apparatus described in the specification. Many other systems of connections will at once suggest themselves to those conversant with the art, but these form no part of the present invention.

It is obvious that apparatus according to this invention may be arranged in many ways to form systems of signaling. Forinstance,

the electromagnets may be energized bya current in a circuit controlled by the roadsemaphores, or the current may be switched on direct from a signal-cabin, or the passage of the train itself may complete the circuit.

I claim 1. In railway signaling the combination with a magnet of a focusing-collector having a deflectable needle, one member of the combination being in the roadway and the other upon a vehicle movable past the first member. pivoted and are normally kept, as herein- I 2. In railway signaling, the combination with a magnet of a focusing-collector having a gap wherein the deflectable needle is situated, one member of the combination being in the roadway and the other upon a vehicle movable past the first member.

3. In railway signaling the combination with an electromagnet having extended poles of a focusing-collector having a gap wherein a deflectable needle is situated, one member of the combination being in the roadway and the other upon a vehicle.

4. In railway signaling the combination with a magnet having an extended magnetic field of a focusing-collector comprising collecting-arms, a cross-bar having a gap in which two polarized deflectable needles are situated and contacts against which such needles are deflected, one member of the combination being in the roadway and the other upon a vehicle.

5. In railway signaling the combination with magnets in various positions transversely to the track, of a focusing-collector comprising a plurality of collecting-bars, divided cross-bars between the collecting-bars, and a deflectable needle in the gap in each cross-bar, one member of the combination being in the roadway and the other upon a vehicle.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

WILFRID SVVANIVIGK BOULT. 

